Dr. Seuss - The First Rapper?

As I was reading 'The Cat in the Hat' to a two-year-old the other day (something I don't get to do that often any more), it occurred to me that, if you put the words to music, it would be rap. Does this mean that the rappers we hear today were subliminally influenced by their early exposure to Dr. Seuss? Could it be that he is responsible in some way for inflicting this on us? Do these guys doing 'gangsta rap' even realize where the possible inspiration for this musical genre came from? Imagine their shock at the realization! Something to think about, isn't it?